The 21-year old A5/1 privacy algorithm has been cracked before, but this is the first time that code has been published. Nohl says his goal is to convince cell phone operators to implement better security measures, but others fear that the publication of the code will make it a lot easier for criminal organizations to tap phone calls.
The action by the encryption expert, Karsten Nohl, aimed to question the effectiveness of the 21-year-old G.S.M. algorithm, a code developed in 1988 and still used to protect the privacy of 80 percent of mobile calls worldwide. (The abbreviation stands for global system for mobile communication.)More details can be read at NY Times.
“This shows that existing G.S.M. security is inadequate,” Mr. Nohl, 28, told about 600 people attending the Chaos Communication Congress, a four-day conference of computer hackers that runs through Wednesday in Berlin. “We are trying to push operators to adopt better security measures for mobile phone calls.”